Jeez - when did I get so old?

Still not much going on in my life - I'm still having to take it easy.  My injured ankle has almost healed, but now I'm having back problems.  I ended up at the doctor's office twice in one week.  The medication they gave me (4 different prescriptions) don't do anything to relieve the pain.  They make me stupid and groggy.  So I go to work each day without taking anything for the pain.  I come home, eat dinner, take a shower, take a handful of pills, and zonk myself out for the night.  When the weekends come around, I overload on pain pills all week long.  Last Sunday - I might have been awake 4 hours all day long.  When I woke up, I'd do the bare minimum, and if I had more pain, I'd take a handful of pills and go back to bed.

I've got an appointment next week to have my back x-rayed.  They think I may have fractured/broken a rib when I had my fall.  Wow!  When did I get so old? 

I am soooo ready to get healthy and feel better.  I've made the first step.  I went to a "Cooking Healthy" class my insurance company sponsors.  But I cook only for myself, and that's no fun.  Next?  When I finally get my health back, I'm going to sign up for Zumba, Yoga and Weight Watchers.  I tremble at that last one.  I can't do those first two until I get my ankle back in shape.  And I'm working on getting my nerves up for Weight Watchers.  I've never had to worry about my weight until I had a hysterectomy, and after that, the weight just piled on.  In my opinion, I need to lose about 75 pounds. 

So...now that I've spilled the beans on all that, I'm going to close this post.  It was really scary just putting all this down on paper.  Because now I feel like I've made a commitment. 

I can't wait until I find out about my back.  The doctor said there was nothing they can do if I have fractured or broken a rib - I can only have pain pills (which don't work).  But I still want the x-rays.  I want to know exactly what is wrong.  Because if I haven't injured my ribs, then there's something else wrong, and we can start working on finding out what the problem is.

Jeez - when did I get so old??

I'm probably doing a lot of damage...

Ankle Update:  It’s still hurting from my fall on September 5th, but I can tell there is progress every day.  By the time I get home from work, all I want to do is elevate my foot, so no progress has been made on any sewing projects.  I don’t miss sewing, and that concerns me.  I’m hoping the quilt bug will bite me and I’ll be ready to sew once my ankle cooperates.  Please Lord!

Now, as far as the damage I may be doing:  I know I’m a blogaholic (is that even a word?)

I knew I had a problem with the number of blogs I subscribe to, because I asked questions about Google Reader here.

I went to visit family over the weekend, and had 1,200+ blog updates to read when I returned.  All of that in only three days.  Three.  Days.  OMG!  I knew I had been spending too many hours each evening reading blog updates.

I've been busy “unsubscribing” to blogs since yesterday.  And I'm tired. 

So - for the 36 of you that follow me, please let me know if I have unknowingly unsubscribed to your blog.  Because I'm starting to go a little crazy with this unsubscribe business, and I've decided I'm going to whittle this down (hopefully) to a small number of blogs, and that's (hopefully) where it will stay. 

In the meantime, I'll be busy for the next few days.  Because I know I unsubscribed to some blogs last night, but yet I'm having updates from them today and they're back in my Google Reader listing.  I know I unsubscribed at the GFC button on their blog (or on the Blog Management page within my blog), and I also unsubscribed with the drop-down within Google Reader.  So evidently something isn't working right.  Dear Lord, please tell me I haven't devoted all of these hours to unsubscribe and it hasn't worked. 

Guess I better scoot so I can see what's going on -- wish me luck!

It's not broken, just badly sprained

At my age, we don't snap back like we did when we were younger. 

I had guests over the weekend.  My mom and granddaughter were here.  We're such a dysfunctional family, suffice it to say I'm glad the weekend is over and I'm back to just me again.

I was helping load everything for their return trip, making a couple of trips back into the house.  There are six steps outside that lead down to the sidewalk to the front door.  I started down the steps and took a tumble down the last two or three.  Very graceful, huh?  I used to consider myself clumsy and would joke and say my middle name should have been "Grace".  Maybe I need to start saying that again. 

So - my left ankle was killing me - but I iced it, and kept it elevated and went to work yesterday.   A co-worker took me to the clinic and after x-rays it was determined it's not broken, just badly sprained.   So I was given pain meds, anti-inflammatory and crutches.  Oh, and a tetanus shot.  Now I think the tetanus shot injection site hurts almost as much as the ankle.  Almost.

Anyway, I get back to the office, finish up what I was working on before I went to the clinic, and headed home.  I had an assignment I needed to finish once I arrived at the house.  No problem.  Except...smart me decided I'd go ahead and take the muscle spasm medicine.  Last thing I remember is sitting on the sofa with my foot elevated and the laptop in my lap.  Four hours later I woke up.  I hopped to the bedroom, crawled in the bed, promptly went back to sleep and didn't wake up until ten hours later.  Awesome medicine, huh??  I think I'll definitely take another one Friday night.  What a wonderful uninterrupted night of sleep.  It was Heaven.

I told the doctor I needed a quick healing -- I am a volunteer usher at the Fox Theater and I had signed up to work later this month for "Wicked".  I started volunteering two years ago - specifically so I could see "Wicked" and in all the time I've been volunteering, it hasn't come back.  Until now.  And now I'm injured and certainly won't be able to assist people to their seats if I can't walk.  And I'm ushering upstairs.  Up.Stairs.  I've got to heal fast.  FAST.

One funny thing about my fall.  My husband was behind me when I fell.  God, I was lying there hurting.  He tried to help me up, and I was like, "no,  no, God, I hurt.  Hold on, I'll get up on my own."  Then I said something like, "I think they felt that in China."  I was lying face-down on the sidewalk and he was leaning over me and thought I said something about hurting my "V_ _ _ _ _" (rhymes with China").  Even hurting as bad as I was, I still had to laugh.  Isn't it crazy how our hearing plays trick on us too when we get old?  And no, I didn't hurt my V_ _ _ _ _.  Thank God!

What a crappy way to end an already crappy weekend.  Every time we get together, one or more of the following happen:
     someone ends up getting their feelings hurt
     someone ends up crying
     someone ends up storming out of the house heading back to their house
    
And I usually end up in the middle of it all. 

Am I the only one with an dysfunctional family?   God, I hate it! 

It's been a month since I've posted anything

I haven't talked about my job much on my blog.  I'm a Budget Analyst and work for a government agency.   Our money is received based on a budget fiscal year versus the annual year.  So for all intents and purposes, all our money expires on 30 September each year.  Since I'm a Budget Analyst, things get really busy this time of year.  So here recently, my time has not been my own.  I've been working Saturdays and Sundays, and when I do finally get to come home, I'm exhausted and don't feel like doing much.  I've been reading all of your wonderful blog updates, but just simply haven't taken the time to post anything new to my blog.

Don't give up on my please.  When I finally get back to this blog, I'll have plenty to say.  Here's a quick recap of some things that are going on:

I've got a win-win situation going on with my mentor/longarm quilter in Texas.  She made up some quilt "kits" along with layouts, mailed them to me, and I'll make the quilt flimsies based on the designs she sent.  I'll be getting experience piecing (and hopefully glean some tips on how to pick colors/fabrics which I totally suck at), and then I'll mail them back to her, and she'll sandwich, quilt, and donate them to one of her charities.  That's where the "win-win" comes in.  I gain experience.  She gets quilt tops to donate.  So far, I've only completed one of the four quilt "kits" she sent me. 

Remember I won the Accuquilt Go! Baby?  I've already received it, and believe it or not, I haven't even taken it out of the box.  My mentor/longarm quilter in Texas also sent me a box of scraps from the 70's or 80's that she said I can use while practicing with my Go! Baby.  Darn, I just need to find the time!

I have an "angel" that mailed me some wonderful fabric.  Not because I won anything.  But because she's an "angel".   New fabrics.  Beautiful new fabrics.  Fat Quarters.  Charm Packs.  Lovely, lovely fabric.  And I've got thread.  How wonderful!   

My work won't slow down until November.  Well...at least, totally slow down.  Once it does, I'll be able to spend time "playing" with the Go! Baby and then my new fabrics can be used to make something breathtakingly beautiful.  Not sure it'll be THAT great, but at least I hope to make something beautiful.

Hang in there for me.  I hope to eventually get this blog up and going.  I hope to have photos, and projects to share. 

In the meantime, like I said, I've been reading everything you've been doing.  And I've been trying to leave comments when I can.

November....ahhh....I can't wait.

Speed cutting video

Remember, I consider myself new to quilting, and I'm still learning a lot.  But late last night, I stumbled across this post at KateKwiltz.  At the end of this short post, she gives you a link to a video for speed cutting.  In the video, I was amazed at the simplicity of the cutting technique.  The demonstration is for a square on point, and with four simple cuts with the rotary cutter, you have cut 6 square on point blocks ready for sewing (consisting of 30 pieces).  Just that simple!

Again - you might already know this, but I was truly impressed.

To go straight to the speed cutting video, click here.

EEEK!!! LOOK WHAT I WON!!!!

Oh dear Lord!  I can't believe it!!  I've been entering contests left and right trying to win one of these GO! Baby fabric cutters.  And I can't believe I won one.  I got an e-mail today from Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts.  And I just love the way she informed me I had won!  The subject of her e-mail was one simple word:  Giveaway.  I open her e-mail and there's a note that says:  Deborah, I think you might want to check out my blog post! http://ellisonlane.blogspot.com/2011/07/accquilt-go-baby-winner.html

Now I'm out putting slobber on my laptop screen trying to pick out three dies.  I thought I knew what I would get - I mean, I really did!  But oh my!!  I'm still new to quilting and really don't know which dies will be the best to select.  I had thought, "Okay, I'll get the 2.5" strip die because I have to put bindings on every quilt I make, and that means I'd use it each and every time I make a quilt."  Then I thought "Hmmm....cutting strips isn't that difficult.  That wouldn't really be much of a time saver for me."  Then I was talking with Debra at Debra's Design Studio trying to pick her brain.  She got me on the road to thinking if I purchased a die for squares, I'd merely have to cut that square in half to get triangles.  Yeah!!  That sounds really cool!  But what size squares/triangles are the most popular with quilt patterns?  When you don't have a history of making quilts, you don't know what size to get.

I was thinking of getting the Bountiful Baskets by Alex Anderson (not sure if they have a dollar amount as a ceiling for the dies) because I've always thought I'd like to make one of those quilts, and the die for it is twice the price of the others.  Whatcha' think?  

So....anybody want to jump on the wagon and recommend dies and tell me why you think I should select a certain one?  And this is a GO! Baby, so not all the GO! dies will work for it. 

Squeal!!!  I'm so dang excited I keep opening the e-mail and looking at Jennifer's blog all over again, just so I can see my name on her post as the winner!!!

Still playing with my granddaughter

Well, it's been a fun week, but it's almost come to an end.  I've had my 5-year old granddaughter since Friday afternoon, and my oh my, I'm finding it hard to believe I had twins and kept my house in order.  Maybe it's just the fact that as a grandmother I'm all about trying to do fun things with my granddaughter and not focus on keeping things clean around the house.  I've discovered (yet once again!) that she's more content to sit and play games on the computer than going places and playing. 

We went to the pool for 3 hours earlier this week.  Stayed in the pool the entire time.  She had a blast, and I did too!

Went to a puppet show yesterday, but left less than 10 minutes after it started because she was "bored". 

Today we will have our last full day together.  We plan on visiting her aunt and uncle (my daughter and her husband) who live about 40 minutes away.  I hope to do some shopping for clothes and shoes for her while we're out.  But with the way things are going right now, it doesn't look like that will happen.  I mean, how many excuses can you come up with to delay brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, and getting dressed (how much easier it was when you could put what you wanted to on her and didn't have to worry about her opinion about what she wanted to wear).  There are so many excuses to slow down our departure.  Just getting breakfast down her was a 30-minute playtime. 

I haven't had time to play with the new laptop, or even load the software for my camera.  HA!  I haven't even taken any picture since she's been here.  What a terrible grandmother I've been.  Well, I really haven't.  We've had so much fun since she's been here - playing on the computer (we've found so many websites for games), making a tent with two chairs and a quilt hung over them, snuggle time at bedtime, practicing spelling and reading, and our short foray into the sewing room this morning.  Hopefully we'll find time after our visit with her aunt and uncle for her to try to sew a small blanket for her bunny rabbit.  She picked out some fabrics that sadly don't look good together, but they're what she wants, so that's what she'll have.  It took a long time for her to make her decision.  She selected six fabrics for blocks to make her center, and then four fabrics for the border (a different color on each side).  Hey!  Maybe I can remember to take photos when she's sewing.  Yeah, right!!  Anyway, I need to cut the six fabrics for the center blocks.  I bought one of those glue sticks and will glue the fabrics together so they won't shift when she sews them.  Hopefully we can get that done this evening before bedtime. 

I've kept up with everything going on with all of you while she's been here.  While she's been playing on the computer with her games, I've been playing on the computer with mine.

The week has flown by, and it's hard to believe it's time to take her home.  I know I need to take my energy pills, because when I get her home, I'll be cleaning my mom's house.  There will be plenty of dishes and clothes to wash, floors to vacuum, bathrooms to clean, and groceries to buy. 

When I return, it will be back to the daily grind of my life as a Budget Analyst, with numbers and spreadsheets and getting to work at 6:00 a.m.  One of the reasons I don't look forward to retirement - I like having structure to my life.  Knowing I have to do specific things each day.

Hoping all of you have had a lovely 4th of July with your families, and you remembered the reason we celebrate this holiday.